The Houston Independent School District Board of Education on Thursday voted 5-3, with Greg Meyers, Harvin Moore and Paula Harris opposed, to restore approximately $18.5 million, or $85 per student, in funding to school budgets for the 2011-2012 school year and for the years to come.

Meyers, Moore and Harris opposed committing funds for future years, though they supported restoring the funds for the 2011-2012 school year. News Release

The item was part of budget amendments under consideration for the 2011-2012 budget.

The funding is available through excess budget reductions the district had calculated due to reductions in state funding allocations. Originally, the district had calculated for reductions above revenues of $21.9 million, but refined the amount to $18.49 million following the receipt of additional information.

“Preliminary estimates projected that Houston Independent School District would lose $78.7 million,” Chief Financial Officer Melinda Garrett said. “District approved reductions exceeded the estimated loss of state funding by $21.9 million. The district has now re-calculated the anticipated level of state funding to be earned and the variance is now $18.49 million. The primary reason for the difference is attributable to the loss of special population funding of weighted students.”

The budget amendments also include expenditure of $33,855,783 in grant funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Federal Education Jobs Fund.

The school board voted unanimously to order an election on November 8 for Trustee Districts No. 2, 3, 4 and 8, and to negotiate an agreement with Harris County to conduct joint elections.

The school board voted 6-0-1, with Moore abstaining, to approve an agreement with SureScore to offer Duke TIP curriculum to prepare middle school students for the SAT test.

The school board voted unanimously to close the High School for Business and Economic Success.

“The High School for Business and Economic success, an HISD external charter school, has applied for and received approval to operate as a state charter school,” Deputy Chief Academic Officer Alicia Thomas said. “Board approval of this request is needed to allow the Texas Education Agency to remove the school's identification campus number as an HISD school.”

The school board voted 4-1-3, with Carol Mims Galloway opposed and Juliet Stipeche, Meyers and Anna Eastman abstaining, to approve a program with the University of St. Thomas. Under the partnership, the university will provide an MBA program for principals and assistant principals.

The school board voted 6-0-1, with Harris abstaining and Manuel Rodriguez away at the time of the vote, to approve vender awards for purchases exceeding $100,000.

The school board voted 5-1-2, with Stipeche opposed and Moore and Galloway abstaining, to approve personnel items discussed in executive session.

The school board voted unanimously to approve recommendations regarding a settlement of a Hurricane Ike related property damage claim with Lexington Insurance Company. The item was discussed during an executive session.

All other items were approved by unanimous vote. Trustee Michael Lunceford was absent from the meeting. Agenda